What is Glonoinum?

Glonoinum is a homeopathy remedy. It is made from nitroglycerine, the same drug doctors use for chest pain. Homeopaths give it for a hot, pounding headache and a red, flushed face.

The remedy is made by diluting the drug again and again. At 30C, none of the source drug is left. What you take is mostly water, alcohol or a sugar pill.

Trials do not show that it works better than a dummy pill. Its standing comes from long use in one tradition. Long use is not proof that a remedy works.

How does Glonoinum work?

No one has shown a way for this remedy to work in the body. That is the honest starting point.

Homeopathy uses the idea of "like cures like". Raw nitroglycerine can cause a throbbing headache, a red face and a pounding heart. So homeopaths give a very diluted dose for those same signs.

The dilution is the problem. Past about 12C, no molecules of the source drug remain. At 30C there is nothing left to act on you.

Homeopaths say the water keeps a "memory" of the drug. There is no accepted proof for that idea. Any benefit people feel is most likely a placebo effect, which means feeling better because you expect to.

What forms does Glonoinum come in?

Glonoinum comes in a few simple forms.

Small sugar pellets are the most common. You let them melt under your tongue. Tablets work the same way.

Liquid drops in water and alcohol are also sold. Some shops sell combination headache products that list Glonoinum among several remedies.

Common strengths are 6C, 30C and 200C. Low strengths such as 1X, 2X and 3X are sold in some countries. Those low ones may still contain real drug.

Where it comes from:

Nitroglycerine was first made in 1847 by Ascanio Sobrero. He tasted a tiny amount and got a violent headache.

Constantine Hering, a homeopath, tested it on healthy people in the 1840s and 1850s. He named it Glonoinum. His notes describe bursting head pain, a red face and a thumping heart.

The remedy has stayed in homeopathy books ever since. It is best known there as a remedy for sun headaches. Doctors later used the same drug for chest pain, but that is a separate story.

What does Glonoinum help with?

• Throbbing or bursting headache: This is the classic use in homeopathy books. The picture is head pain that beats with each heartbeat and feels worse when you bend down. No human trial has tested Glonoinum for headache.
• Headache after time in the sun or heat: Homeopaths pick this remedy when a headache starts after hours in hot sun. There is no trial evidence for it. Get out of the heat, drink water and cool down, since heat illness can turn serious fast.
• Feeling of blood rushing to the head: Old texts describe a hot, full, pounding head with a red face. This is a traditional picture only. No study has tested whether the remedy changes it.
• Hot flushes with a red face: Some homeopaths use it for hot flushes around menopause. Evidence for this is absent. Talk to your doctor about options that have been tested.
• Headache around a monthly period: Traditional texts mention head pain that comes with a late or heavy period. No trial supports this use. See your doctor if period headaches are bad or new.
• Dizziness with a hot, flushed head: Homeopathy books link this remedy to dizziness that comes with heat and flushing. There is no human evidence. New or repeated dizziness needs a medical check.

Which foods are rich in Glonoinum?

Nitroglycerine is not found in food, so no food is a source of this remedy.

What are the side effects of Glonoinum?

• Most people notice nothing at all from a 30C pellet
• Mild upset stomach from the sugar in the pellets
• Gas or bloating if you cannot digest lactose (milk sugar)
• A short flare of your old symptoms, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Headache or a hot, red face if you use a very low dilution such as 1X or 2X
• Dizziness or feeling faint if you use a very low dilution
• A fast or pounding heartbeat if you use a very low dilution
• A sharp drop in blood pressure if you use a very low dilution

Good to know:

At 30C there is nothing left of the drug, so side effects are very rare. The pellet is sugar, and sugar is the main thing your body meets.

Very low dilutions are a different matter. They may hold real drug, so the last few effects on the list can happen.

The bigger risk is delay. If you treat chest pain or a very bad headache with this, you may put off care you truly need.

How much Glonoinum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No trial has set a dose for Glonoinum. Homeopathy does not use dose the way normal medicine does. Shop labels for 30C pellets often say to take 3 to 5 pellets under the tongue, up to three times a day. Homeopaths most often use 6C or 30C for a sudden headache. Stop as soon as you feel better. Do not keep taking it out of habit. Follow the label on the pack you bought, and ask a pharmacist if the label is unclear.
• Best time of day: There is no set time of day. Homeopaths take it when symptoms start, then stop when things ease.
• With or without food: Take it away from food and drink. The usual advice is a clean mouth for 15 minutes before and after. Let the pellet melt under your tongue rather than chewing it.
• Time to effect: Homeopaths expect a change within minutes to a few hours. No trial backs that up. If you feel no change in 24 hours, stop and get advice.
• How long to take it: Use it for a short time only. One or two days is enough for a sudden headache. If nothing has changed after 24 hours, stop and rethink. Long daily use has no support and can hide a problem that needs care.